Marina Romanova: Psychic anthrax

Every day mass media count the victims of the “bacteriological war.” The medical officials try to convince the population in their “battle readiness” in return, saying they have the requisite vaccine. The Internal Affairs warn: do not open the mail that is not addressed to you. So to what extent is this danger serious?

A possibility for such a disease like anthrax has never been excluded in Russia. That is why our doctors are prepared on a better level. But of course a common person is very afraid of the lack of knowledge about this disease, its symptoms and development.

There are 3 forms of anthrax: skin anthrax – the lightest one (this is the kind that can be caught if touching an infected object), intestinal and pulmonary anthrax. The skin form of the disease deteriorates skin basically – arms, head and so on. In other cases anthrax deteriorates lungs or intestines. It results in sepsis with numerous hemorrhages into different organs, infectious and toxic shock, brain and pulmonary edema.

Anthrax is treated with basic antibiotics. The St.Petersburg committee for healthcare assured they have enough of anti-anthrax vaccine. Moreover, the doctors are ready to render the vaccine to their American colleagues and send medical personnel to the States.

Marina Romanova PRAVDA.Ru St.Petersburg

Reuters photo: Bacillus anthracis vegetative cells are pictured in a monkey spleen in this undated photomicrograph from the United States military Anthrax vaccine immunization program web site